Become a Catalyst Leader

Enter my friend Brad Lomenick. Brad is the president and lead visionary of Catalyst, the innovative and experiential leadership movement that has been going on for now almost 14 years and is now one of America’s most influential leadership movements, with conferences and leadership gatherings all around the US.

Brad has just released a dynamic new book called “The Catalyst Leader: 8 Essentials for Becoming a Change Maker.” It’s a practical guide for all leaders, at any stage of their leadership journey, that defines what it means to be a Catalyst in this generation and inspires us all to be true change makers wherever we lead.

I asked Brad to share an overview of a few essentials he talks about in the book. Here’s what he said:

A principled leader is one who is disciplined, has integrity, and remains humble. Who you are becoming as a leader is more important than what you are doing. What matters is what’s on the inside. A hopeful leader is a visionary leader who is able to move people into the future with passion. I believe being an authentic leader is one of the most important. Over the years, I’ve realized a great lesson about leadership: I’m at my best when I’m simply being me. It’s taken some time to figure that one out. Every leader I know faces the temptation to project a persona other than their true selves. They think that in order to maintain the confidence of their team or followers, they must appear faultless, flawless, and ever wise. Yet I believe that what everyone around you wants is an authentic leader, not a perfect one. A leader who is willing to admit their mistakes. A leader that a team can trust and follow. The real you. That can only happen if I embrace who I truly am rather than trying to be someone else. The other essential that stands out for me is being Capable as a leader. Excellence is a non-negotiable and one we have many times not led with in the Christian community. As Catalyst leaders we have to make excellence a non-negotiable. Put into practice competence, excellence, and a standard of reaching for perfection. Chase after a level of excellence that will stretch you and astonish others. Capable leaders are willing to set standards that scare them. A true change maker strives to be the absolute best in the world at what they do. They hustle, they are hungry and are committed to getting better every single day. Being the best requires focus, determination, intentionality, hard work, perseverance and making sacrifices. The stakes are high. And we all know when our performance is not our best. Make sure your standard is not just being a bit better than average. Or merely being better than your competitor. You must always strive to be the best you can be. Without a standard of excellence in your work, you have no hope for becoming a true change maker. A Catalyst leader is capable. Make excellence a non-negotiable.